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16th Century Venice
Harrison Dance Dominic Bourgoin Summary During the 16th Century, Venice was predominantly known for its prosperity through mercantilism which was powered by the ruling class. Venice was a market place that was juxtaposed by prostitution and nunneries. Transportation in Venice was done by the use of canal systems. The social classes were divided by a caste system which was headed by 150 families who were appointed in the year 1297 and ruled for 500 years. Most of this century was shattered by war except during the 30s and 40s. After recovering from the black plague, Venice peaked at 190,000 in population during 1570. Serpent of Venice References In the Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore, some characters that are known for being in the aristocracy are Portia, Desdemona, and Brabantio. For example, Brabantio is a senator and political positions were only held by families that were descendants of the original aristocrats. Moore's Afterword At the end of the novel, Christopher Moore provides supplemental information that gives insight to the purpose of the choices he makes in tying Shakespeare's stories for a modern audience. Moore provides the historical context that helps the audience better understand the reasons for certain events in the novel. Othello and the Merchant of Venice were written in the 16th century while the Serpent of Venice's setting takes place around 1299. The Cask of Amontillado takes place in most likely in the 18th century as it does not specify the time. With these differences in time period, Moore changes Othello's setting from the island of Cyprus to the island of Corsica. Corsica is closer to Genoa so travel in the story fits the setting in the story. Moore also highlights characters that are viewed as outsiders, whether it be for religious reasons like Shylock being discriminated against as a Jew, or for racial reasons like Othello being of African descent and living in a society that is primarily Caucasian. These social conflicts are still prevalent in modern times and Moore uses them as satire for the audience through modern language which can be seen in Pocket's profanity. Religious Divisions In 16th Century Venice, a large factor of division between people were their religion. The two prominent religions in Venice were the high class Catholics and the tread-upon followers of Judaism. There was a very established division, as Jews were walled off in the Ghetto at night time while the Christians were able to roam free. Furthermore, outside of their homes, Jews were required to wear certain colored hats marking them of their religion. Jews in Venice were cast down and treated as second class citizens compared to Christians. Social Divisions Along with divisions based on religion, there was also a very clear division between people of just Catholic religion as well. People following Judaism were at the bottom of the barrel, but there was still a very evident social pyramid. At the top of this pyramid there were families of the 150. These families were the richest around and controlled the government as well. They held the mass majority of riches in the city, and they kept the power and wealth in their family through family planning and careful arranged marriages. After these families, there was the select few that had made wealth on their own, or were traders and merchants. Merchants were held in high regard as their were the basis of the Venetian capitalism economy. On the bottom of the pyramid were people who did the menial jobs, almost servants, such as boat rowers. All of these individuals were citizens however, and they were still held in better regard than the Jews of the city. No matter how wealthy or influential the Jews were, then they were still treated as second class citizens. Sources King, Margaret L., The Renaissance. 2008, World Encyclopedia. 2005, Elizabeth Knowles, and Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. "Venice."Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2004. Web. 8 Mar. 2016. Thorton, Emma. "Venice- 16th Cenutry, Othello." Prezi.com. N.p., 7 Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. Knox, Skip. "Venice during the Reformation." Venice in the 16th and 17th Centuries. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. Carroll, Linda L. "Money, Age, and Marriage in Venice: A Brief Biocultural History." Politics and Culture. N.p., 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.